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V. PAQUIT.

ELECTRIC CURRENT MODIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 225 1914- Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

? Sk e/mm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- emu. pv cv V. PAQUIT.

ELECTRIC CURRENT MODIFIER.

APPUCATION mm OCT. 22. I914- Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS- SHEET -2.

Wage/noes W W VITAL PAQUIT, OF STAPLETON, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT MODIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed October 22, 1914. Serial No. 868,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VITAL PAQUIT, a subject of the King of Belgium, and a resident of Stapleton, Staten Island, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Current Modifiers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for modifying electric current.

The principle of this invention is the utilization of the intervals of time resulting from the interruptions of a current to produce in a similar fashion effects similar to those which are obtained by the continuous passage of a current in those pieces of apparatus which do not fall within the domain of absolutely continuous currents.

The subject-matter of the invention is an apparatus which in its entirety is composed of materials and parts familiar in the art. It is characterized by the combination of one or several collectors having rings and co operating with brushes.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the mechanism used for carrying out the invention, partially in section, as applied to a plurality of electric lamps, showing the lamps and wiring arranged diagrammatically, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a modified form of a portion of the mechanism used, Fig. 3 is an end view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a side view partly' in section of another modified form, Fig. 5 is an end view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 shows a different arrangement of mechanism enabling the invention to be carried out.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawings, and more par ticularly to Fig. 1, the base 10 has placed thereon a motor 11 supplied by a shunt 12, 13, from the line conductors 14; and Connected with the shaft 16 of the electric motor by means of a clutch 17, is a shaft 18 supported in bearings of standards 19. To the shaft 18 are secured rings 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, which are insulated from the shaft 18 and its enlargement 18 by insulating layers 30 and 31. These rings 20 to 29 contact with brushes 40, 11, 42 49, which brushes are suitably supported by members 40, 1-1, 12* 41-9. To the brushes 10 to 19, conductors 50, 51, 52 59 are connected, each of which is connected with a bank of three lamps 60, 61, 62 69, each of these three lamps being provided with conductors 60, 60 60 61, 61*, 61, etc, and each of these individual conductors is connected with the common conductor which is connected with the conductor 14 at 71. The rings 20, 21, 22 29 are each connected with conductors 80, S1, 82 89, which have their other ends connected with commutator bars 90, 91, 92, 98,94, and other corresponding bars not shown, one for each wire to 89, which bars are arranged consecutively, around the circumference of the commutator. A brush 95 is suitably supported by a bracket 96 and this brush is connected with a conductor 97, which is connected with the conductor 15 at 98.

By the mechanism thus described, the electric motor 11 is operated by the electric current passing into it through the conductors 12 and 13, and thereby the rings 20-29 are rotated in contact with the brushes 410 19, and by the cooperation of the commutator, the entire current from the main line conductors 141 and 15, with exception of that taken by the motor, is passed successively through each of the commutator bars and each of the collector rings 2029, and hence, through each of the banks of lamps 6069. The shaft 18 is rapidly rotated by the motor 11, and in consequence thereof the commutator passes very rapidly under the brush 95, and in consequence thereof, the interruption of the entire cur rent flowing through each bank of lamps is so quickly made that it is imperceptible to i the naked eye. The. burning of each of the banks of lamps 6069 appears to the eye as continuous, whereas as a matter of fact the electric current is caused to pass successively through each bank of lamps, from the bank 60 t0 the bank 69, and while the current passes through each of these banks of lamps, all the other banks of lamps are not fed by the current. It will thus be seen that the entire energy of the line conductors 1 1 and 15, excepting that consumed by the motor, is caused to pass through each bank of lamps 60-69 The advantage of this arrangement is that the entire available energy is utilized for each bank of lamps, and thereby a very brilliant light is obtained. A further advantage is that no matter how many banks of lamps are inserted, each bank receives the full available energy and is not diminished in its brilliancy.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3. the commutator is arranged differently from that shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment the commutator consists of a disk 100 of insulating material which is suitably strengthened and held in position by a metallic member 101, which at the same time acts as a conductor to hold the commutator brush. The disk 100 is secured to a shaft 102 and at one side of the disk metallic segments 103, 101, 105, 100, 107, 108, etc., are secured. which areheld in position by bolts 109. Each of the plates 103108, etc., is insulated from the other by insulating material 110. Along the shaft 102 a plurality of rings 112, 113, 111, 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119 are arranged, which are insulated by the members 120, from each other, and are insulated from the shaft 102, and connected by suitable conductors, each with any desired one of the bolts 109. The number of plates is thus greater than the number of rings. A ring may be connected to more than one plate, to receive more current per unit of time. The rings 112119 are engaged by brushes suitably connected as in Fig. 1, and a suitable commutator brush 100, held by the metallic member 101, is adapted to engage the commutator bars 103-108. The operation of this commutator with the rings is substantially the same as that described in connection with Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. at and 5, the commutator is arranged in the same manner as the commutator in Fig. 1, in that bars 90 91, 92 are arranged, each of which is insulated from the other, and which operate in the manner well known in connection with commutator-s. Along each side of the commutator, metallic rings 120, 121, 122, 123, 121, 125, are arranged, to replace the longitudinally disposed rings of the other embodiments, which are clearly shown in Fig. 5, each of these rings being seated in the body 120 of insulating material, so that each ring is insulated from its neighboring ring. The body 126 of insulating material is supported on a shaft 127. A set of these rings 120125 is arranged on each side of the body 126, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. This cooperation provides a very compact structure, and obviates the necessity of having a long shaft as in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft 16 or the clutch 17 of the motor 11 being adapted to be connected immediately with the shaft 127, whereby a very compact structure is obtained. At the same time, the wiring connections and arrangement of the lamps as described in connection with Fig. 1, is also applicable to the embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and therefore this will not be described in detail.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 0, a series 130 of rings are arranged at the left hand of the commutator 131, and av series of rings 132 are arranged at the right hand of the commutator 181. The distinction between the embodiment shown in Fig. 0 and the embodiment of Fig. 1, is that in Fig. 1 the rings are arranged only at the right-hand side of the commutator, whereas in Fig. 6 the rings are arranged at both sides thereof. The shaft 133 is suitably supported by standards 13 1 which are substantially like the standards 19 of Fig. 1, and the base plate 110 of Fig. 6 is substantially like the base plate 10 of Fig. 1. The wiring connections are like those of Fig. 1. My invention enables, therefore, the entire electric energy to pass through a plurality of banks of lamps. and by the use of my invention, the brilliancy of these lamps is not influenced by the addition of further numbers thereof. Each of the groups of lamps therefore receives a certain amount of current at each turn of the shaft 18 carrying the collector and the rings, and it is evident that if the successive passages of the current are sufliciently close together in time, all the groups of lamps will give light just as if the current would pass through them in a continuous manner. In this case permanent illumination is due to the following law: Every body elevated to a given temperature preserves that temperature for a fraction of time after the body is taken away from the heating influence. It is evident that the fraction of time in which the filaments of the lamp conserve this tempera ture is very short, but nevertheless it exists. This fraction of time during which the filaments of the lamp preserve their temperature is longer as the filaments are thicker. That is to say, the retarding of the cooling becomes longer as the mass is greater. In the case which I have taken, namely, the electric illumination for incandescent lamps, the electric current only has the following effect to produce, namely, the heating of the filaments of the lamp to a given tempera-v ture in order to give an illuminating power which is in accordance with the sectional thickness and temperature of the filament. This explains the permanence of the light during the interruption of the current. In the meantime the interval of time due to the interruption of the current is utilized in producing in an analogous fashion the illumination of one or several other lamps. In these conditions one can see that with a determined amount of current one can cause the illumination of a. number of lamps or groups of lamps which are greater in number as the interruptions are more frequent. That is to say, the apparatus comprises a collector with a great number of collectors and rings. This explains the economy of forces which permits the practical realiza tion of the invention, and in all these cases where the effect to be produced is not absolutely dependent upon the continuous passage of the current.

The invention is evidently not limited to the application of the embodiment given as an example. The applications are very numerous, principally with accumulators, and it must be understood that the domain of protection comprises all the embodiments in which a distributing apparatus, possessing the principle of my invention, is used.

The invention is not limited to use with electric lamps, but is also of value for charging accumulators or storage batteries, and for other applications.

I have shown various embodiments of my invention, but it is clear that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved electric current modifier, comprising a source of electric power, line wires connected thereto, means for withdrawing a portion of said power from said line wires, a motor driven by said withdrawn portion of said power, a shaft revolved by said motor, a disk of insulating material mounted on said shaft and having a series of rings composed of conducting material mounted on the face of said disk in substantially the same vertical plane and insulated from each other, a series of commutator bars mounted on the periphery of said disk, the number of said rings being equal to the number of said bars, a brush for said commutator bars, wires connecting each of said bars to one of said rings, auxiliary brushes coacting with said rings to draw off current therefrom, and separate means of consum ing electric power intermediate said auxiliary brushes and the second line wire, each of said separate means of consuming electric power being connected to one of said rings, and to said second line wire.

2. In an improved electric current modifier having a shaft, a disk of insulating material mounted 011 said shaft and having a series of rings composed of conducting material mounted on the faces of said disk in substantially the same vertical plane and insulated from each other, a series of commutator bars mounted on the periphery of said disk, the number of said rings being equal to the number of said bars, wires connecting each of said bars to one of said rings, a brush for said commutator bars, auxiliary brushes for withdrawing electric current from said rings, a line wire connected to said first-mentioned brush, and separate means of consuming electric power intermediate said auxiliary brushes, and the second line wire, each of said separate means of consuming electric power being connected to one of said auxiliary brushes and to said second line wire.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VITAL PAQUIT.

Witnesses:

PHOEBE PA UIT, C. P. GonrEL.

copiel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or ratents,

Washington, D. C. 

